CNH2

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Experimentation National Center

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Hydrogen appears as an energy carrier due to the need to have an energy storage system and new carriers. Hydrogen utility as an energy carrier lies in the development of fuel cells as systems of transformation of the energy stored in hydrogen into electricity and heat, and its use in domestic, stationary, portable or automotive applications.

National Hydrogen Center (CNH2) is a new ICTS, devoted to scientific and technology research in all fields related to hydrogen and fuel cells technologies. The Centre has been created as a Consortium between Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity and Castilla-La Mancha Government, as a part of the implementation of the Scientific and Technological Facilities Spanish Roadmap. CNH2 is on duty of national research, technology and industrial community and open to international collaboration.

Hydrogen is the first element of the periodic table. Under normal conditions hydrogen is in gaseous state, and is tasteless, colorless and odorless. On Earth is abundant, but is combined with other elements. Therefore, there is a fuel that cannot be taken directly from nature and therefore it must be manufactured.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that directly converts chemical energy into electricity. It parts from a reactive fuel -usually hydrogen- and an oxidizer -in many cases oxygen- to produce water, electricity and heat.

Similarly to what happens with other fuels, as natural gas or petrol, security is one of the prime issues to be considered when handling hydrogen. Security is a crosscutting matter that must be considered at any stage of the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier, this is: production, transport, storage, distribution and final use.